Because I Am Surtr

Miss Surtr then gently patted Red's little head.

"Good girl," she praised, savoring the smooth texture of Red's soft gray hair. It felt really comfortable. If the situation here hadn't been so unusual, Miss Surtr would have definitely picked Red up and given her a good cuddle.

—But there was no rush for that. After all, she had already decided to return to Rhodes Island. And as a razor-sharp blade and handyman, she and this Little Red Riding Hood clearly had plenty of time to interact.

Then, she stepped further into the room.

Collection over a thousand, nice.

Recommendation rejected, sad... (Correction at 5 PM: I was actually being recommended)

...But I'll think about a second update later_(:з」∠)_

Chapter Twenty-Two: Between People, There Is Gravity

Persephone.

Persephone was the strongest and most terrifying opponent Surtr had ever encountered in this world.

She was the world's top strategist—capable of defeating an elite army twenty times her size in urban warfare with a dispirited band of stragglers. She could easily penetrate hearts and see through complex schemes and plans. Everything she could touch became a pawn in her eyes; even the cries and scurrying of deserters could become a tool for her ambushes.

She was an unparalleled Originium scholar—she could instantly discern energy fluctuations in complex mechanical structures with a single glance. She could assemble Originium-infused weaponry from a few pieces of metal and stone and deploy them on the battlefield. Academic papers that ordinary people couldn't even understand were no different from children's extracurricular reading to her. If Terra had a world-renowned award similar to the Nobel Prize in the world of Arknights, and if its fairness could be guaranteed, then for the years she had been active, the recipient in the field of Originium academia would have been only her.

She was also a first-class assassin—she rarely acted, so rarely that most people who knew of her believed she was merely a frail strategist with no strength to even kill a chicken. However, all assassins who were misled by her weak appearance and deliberately spread reputation met their end at her hands—she could walk on falling snowflakes. She could stroll leisurely through a swarm of maddened bees and draw landscapes with a needle on specific bee wings. Those whose heads she severed only realized their bodies and heads had parted ways after escaping ten meters.

She was strong, outrageously strong.

Except for her inability to use overly complex exclusive Originium Arts, there was truly little in this world that was beyond her reach. Because in addition to the three points above, she also possessed something that could be classified as a cheat, a super unfair advantage.

The time Surtr came closest to death, or rather, had walked through the realm of death and returned, was during a battle against Persephone at her peak. After that battle, they laid down their weapons and became allies who could trust, support, and occasionally stab each other in the back.

After all...

"You can't beat me," Surtr said calmly, her gaze passing over the open and empty mechanical sarcophagus and looking in another direction of the hall. She casually raised her hand, and a fiery shield suddenly rose beside her, blocking several high-speed projectiles. She naturally took half a step forward, and Laevateinn, floating around her, slashed out of nowhere, blocking a shadow that was silently flying towards Red.

Ah, yes, you can't beat me.

Even if you are a top strategist, a peerless scholar, the ultimate assassin, and wield an shameless cheat. With all your tricks, you still can't beat me.

That's why we shook hands and made peace. That's why I'm here like this, and still have the patience to talk to a crazy, pathetic Doctor like you.

The shadow lunging at Red vanished silently—Red was startled, but before she could react, Miss Surtr gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Then, the shadow formed a human shape.

Purple long hair, green eyes, a flat and petite figure like an eel, and a detached face that showed no emotion—sometimes Miss Surtr really wanted to call this person 'Nozomi'. Because this person was too similar to a certain unlucky Doctor she saw in a forum thread in her past life. However, there were still some differences between the two, and the biggest differences were personality and luck.

Few people can make Persephone falter—except me.

Few people can make Persephone admit defeat—I am the exception.

It was like this in the past, and it is like this now.

Then, a circle of burning fire spread from Miss Surtr's body, igniting countless invisible threads hanging in the air, threads that could be classified as micro-engraving—perhaps a breath of wind could silently snap them, and when they were all ignited, the Originium-infused explosion erupted instantly!

Blazing light and fire filled the vision of the three parties.

Surtr didn't move, Persephone didn't move, and Red, held down, couldn't and dared not move. Outside of these three, over seventy percent of the hall was covered by the Originium-infused explosion. Intense heat and thermal currents dispersed everywhere, and the metal ground began to melt in large quantities.

Wind flowed.

Heat was contained, blocked, and swirled around the mechanical sarcophagus, forming a barrier.

And those cold, ghastly eyes finally showed a ripple of emotion.

"You know me," Persephone's voice was light, soft, and even carried a hint of fragility, like a good student JK being hit on by a delinquent—but Miss Surtr was unmoved.

After all, in her eyes as an LSP, Persephone was the only one she would never fantasize about and always maintained vigilance towards.

And...

"This isn't something you would say," Miss Surtr said calmly, raising her hand and lightly caressing Laevateinn, which burned silently around her.

"Your words reveal several pieces of information—first, you don't know me; second, you don't know yourself; third, you've forgotten your past—the past you would never have revealed so much information in your words. Unless this was your intention from the beginning, to implant this impression through your communication."

"It sounds like I wasn't a good person in the conventional sense," Persephone nodded slightly, but it was a statement, not an expression of emotion. "And you knew me and understood me before."

"So you're guessing whether I'm your enemy or ally," Surtr chuckled softly. "And you dislike being passive; you always want to be in control. So when you woke up from the sarcophagus, your first decision was to capture the first group of people who arrived, regardless of their strength or whether they were friend or foe, even if it meant causing casualties."

Persephone didn't answer, merely glancing at the mechanical sarcophagus beside her... The massive mechanism was open but inactive. There was no damage to the exterior or interior of the sarcophagus.

Obviously, her escape was smooth—at least 'this time' it was smooth.

"So, are you my ally?" she asked.

"Not an enemy for now, that's all," Miss Surtr replied. "It wasn't supposed to be me who appeared here, but a good child who genuinely likes you. I didn't plan to see you before her, but since you've woken up early, considering your methods, I thought it best to come and give you a heads-up to avoid any awkwardness later."

Miss Surtr's words were somewhat vague. Red, standing to the side, had dizzy eyes, looking like she was listening to a foreign language.

However, Persephone wasn't.

Persephone knew very well what Surtr was talking about—it was her biggest secret, the basis and cheat that allowed her to act so boldly, to kill first and ask questions later, regardless of friend or foe. This made her genuinely frown.

"You... know me very well," she said, still probing.

But Miss Surtr was too lazy to waste any more time here—she had confirmed one thing: Persephone had amnesia, or rather, she had to maintain a state of 'amnesia'. This meant she didn't intend to, and couldn't, reveal her plans with Theresia, just like before.

Ha, just as I expected. Miss Surtr wasn't all that disappointed.

"I truly know you, better than your friends, and better than your enemies. After all, I'm the only one in this world who knows you can perform Death Return. And I even know you can only rewind thirty times a day because the acting scroll only has thirty pages!"

She could clearly sense a violent tremor in Persephone's heart. This was an obvious emotional display, just like the first time she saw through Persephone's secret and turned the tide of battle.

However, Persephone quickly calmed down.

"So, you are my nemesis. We fought each other in the past, and then, for special reasons, we shook hands and made peace after the decisive battle?"

"Precisely."

"I analyzed my own psychology not long ago, and my orientation should lean towards the same sex. So, did you make peace with me because of a woman? And that woman is dead now, which is why I'm lying in this machine you call a sarcophagus?"

"Precisely."

"That woman's death is related to me, so you dislike me. But that woman..." She awkwardly shifted the topic. "And you just said a good child would come to see me. So, that woman must have built a vast force. And that child is the successor?"